Keywords
Challenge of Moral Decadence
Adolescent Students
Manyu Communities
South West Region of Cameroon
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Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the effects of storytelling on moral decadence among adolescent students from Manyu communities of the South West Region of Cameroon. The specific objective was to examine the role of storytelling to curb moral decadence among adolescent students. The theoretical underpinnings of the study was informed by Family systems theory of Murray Bowen (1978), Pierre Dasens (2003) Integrated Theoretical Framework for Cultural Human development, William Glasser’s (1965) Choice Theory and Reality Therapy (CTRT), Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) (1955) of Albert Ellis, Mediated Mutual Reciprocity Theory for Cognitive Enrichment of Therese Tchombe (2019) and African Socialisation and Emotion Regulation Adjustment theory of Emmanuel Tani, (2024). The study employed the sequential exploratory ethnographic mixed method design whereby, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through focus groups, interviews, and questionnaires. A sample of 48 parents was selected from four subdivisions in Manyu Division. That is, 4 chiefs, 16 parents for interview and 28 parents for focus group discussions. In addition, 361 adolescents were purposefully selected from some selected secondary schools in Buea Municipality, located in the South West Region of Cameroon. Amongst were: Saint Therese International Bilingual School Buea, Summerset Bilingual College, Inter Comprehensive College, Government Bilingual High School Molyko-Buea, Government High School Buea Town, and Government High School Bokwango. An open-ended focus group and interview guide for parents, knowledgeable others, and a questionnaire for adolescents were the main instruments for data collection. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 3.0, Atlanta, Georgia. Both descriptive and thematic examination was used. Descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentages, and thematic analysis were used to describe the results. The inferential statistics were tested by subjecting the data to analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multiple Regression Analysis to confirm the verified hypothesis. ANOVA and Multiple Regression analysis show that storytelling has a significant impact on moral decadence, with r greater than r-crit and the magnitude of impact being moderate. Given that the value for r (0.341) and r-crit (0.087) at an alpha level of significance 0.01, it is evident that storytelling significantly influences moral decadence. Parents and other knowledgeable individuals, who are often the primary promoters and users of storytelling, should use this strategy more frequently with adolescent students. This approach can help guide their lives and instill essential competencies through culturally sensitive adaptations, thereby reducing moral decline. Counselors, whether trained or untrained, should also incorporate storytelling into their sessions.
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